The services of the vascular laboratory are mainly for persons who are suspected to have occlusive, embolic or aneurysmal arterial disease or venous reflux or thrombosis. The laboratory assesses vascular disease (with the exception of vascular heart disease) through non-invasive tests: plethysmography and Doppler echography.

These techniques are used to examine arteries, veins, and blood flow disorders. They are safe, painless, reproducible, and require no needles, iodine, radiation or anesthesia.

They can image a specific vessel’s walls and its interior, reveal the speed and direction of blood flow to determine whether an obstruction is present. Using echography, the vessel’s size and diameter can be measured so that aneurysms of the abdominal aorta or a peripheral artery can be detected and monitored.

How do I access the services?

The attending physician sends a test request to the vascular laboratory at Hull Hospital. The test request is evaluated and prioritized by the vascular surgeon.

Medical Imaging Department staff will contact you for an appointment. 

What to expect?

The test takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

The echo Doppler test is done with an ultrasound probe that emits high-frequency sounds inaudible to the human ear. The ultrasounds and their echoes produce an image of the vessels being examined and reveal any obstruction or dilation. This is done using a probe coated with a hypoallergenic jelly that is moved to the site to be examined.

The test is completely painless.